Luxembourg Palace Paris © 2013 Claudia Danforth Ward
Nikon D7000: 1/100 sec @ f/20, ISO 250, 18-200mm lens at 24mm
The world of lenses can be a magical one ... it can also be an expensive one so, as I was learning digital photography I found zoom lenses to be my favorites for providing me the flexibility to learn how to use light, lines, and color in my compositions without spending a fortune on numerous fixed lenses.
A zoom lens is one that can vary its focal length. I happen to have several in my arsenal, but started with just two: a wide-angle Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens and a telephoto Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6 zoom lens, and these lenses brought the world of digital photography alive for me.
What I love about zoom lenses is you don't necessarily have to change your own position to get the image you want.
The Palace at Versailles © 2013 Claudia Danforth Ward
Nikon D7000: 1/200 sec @ f/13, ISO 250, 18-200mm lens at 18mm
Standing in one location you can push your image out with a wide-angle zoom lens to include more of a land- or city-scape, giving the viewer the sense of a broader vista than the naked eye would.
Champs Elysées Paris © 2013 Claudia Danforth Ward
Nikon D7000: 1/200 sec @ f/10, ISO 200, 18-200mm lens at 130mm
Or standing in one location you can pull in a scene, isolating details and giving the viewer a sense of objects being far closer to one another than they really are.
Compressed Stop Signs © 2011 Claudia Danforth Ward
Nikon D60: 1/8 sec @ f/25, ISO 200, 120-400mm at 270mm
Uncompressed Stop Signs © 2011 Claudia Danforth Ward
Nikon D60: 1/15 sec @ f/22, ISO 400, 55-200mm lens at 102mm
Make sure you have at least one wide-angle and one telephoto zoom lens in your camera bag, they will open up a world of options and opportunities in the realm of didgital photography.